Submerged mooring system

ABSTRACT

A submerged mooring system for a tanker which is being loaded, or unloaded. The mooring system permits the tanker to drift with the wind and/or current while maintaining the bow of the tanker headed toward the anchor point. The mooring system incorporates a swivel which rotates around a vertical axis as the heading of the tanker changes with variations in the wind and/or current. The swivel comprises a column means, a circular mooring ring loosely encircling and slidable circumferentially around the column means, means for retaining the mooring ring on the column means, and a slip ring linked with and slidable circumferentially of the mooring ring, the mooring line being connected to the slip ring. A hose for loading or unloading the tanker extends between the tanker and the mooring system and the mooring system incorporates another swivel which permits the hose to swivel about the same axis as the mooring swivel in response to changes in the heading of the tanker.

United States Patent Reynolds 51 June 20, 1972 [54] SUBMERGED MOORINGSYSTEM David G. Reynolds, 13952 Dunton Drive, Whittier, Calif. 90605[22] Filed: Sept. 22, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 74,293

[72] Inventor:

Primary ExaminerTrygve M. Blix Attorney-Harris, Kiech, Russell & Kern[57] ABSTRACT A submerged mooring system for a tanker which is beingloaded, or unloaded. The mooring system permits the tanker to drift withthe wind and/or current while maintaining the bow of the tanker headedtoward the anchor point. The mooring system incorporates a swivel whichrotates around a vertical axis as the heading of the tanker changes withvariations in the wind and/or current. The swivel comprises a columnmeans, a circular mooring ring loosely encircling and slidablecircumferentially around the column means, means for retaining themooring ring on the column means, and a slip ring linked with andslidable circumferentially of the mooring ring, the mooring line beingconnected to the slip ring. A hose for loading or unloading the tankerextends between the tanker and the mooring system and the mooring systemincorporates another swivel which permits the hose to swivel about thesame axis as the mooring swivel in response to changes in the heading ofthe tanker.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUN 20 1972 Ill [.JLJ

/N|/NTOR.

0n V/D 6. Azwvows BY HIS HTTORNEYJ. HARRIS, A7504 RUSSELL 84 KERNSUBMERGED MOORING SYSTEM CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Thepresent application discloses subject matter which is disclosed andclaimed in my copending patent application Ser. No. 94,394, filed Dec.2, 1970.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The present invention relates in general tomooring systems for ships, or the like, and, more particularly, to asubmerged tanker mooring system which permits the tanker to weathervanewith the wind and/or current so that its bow always faces the anchorpoint while the tanker is being loaded, or unloaded. The invention isparticularly applicable to loading a tanker with crude oil, althoughother uses therefor are also possible.

The submerged tanker mooring system of the invention incorporates aswivel to which a bow mooring line extending to the tanker is connectedand which permits the mooring line to rotate about a vertical axis asthe heading of the tanker changes with variations in the wind and/orcurrent. Also located at the anchor point is a hose swivel to which ahose leading to the tanker is connected and which permits rotation ofthe hose about the same vertical axis in response to tanker headingchanges. Thus, the bow mooring line and the loading hose, whichpreferably extends to the bow also, swivel in unison about the samevertical axis as the heading of the tanker varies.

RELATED PRIOR ART Mooring systems, not necessarily submerged, of thegeneral type to which the present invention relates, are disclosed insuch US. patents as Brackx U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,617, issued Nov. 27,1956, Gibson US. Pat. No. 3,366,088, issued Jan. 30, 1968, andZunderdorp US. Pat. No. 3,430,597, issued Mar. 4, 1969.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION Primary objects of the invention are toprovide a submerged tanker mooring system comprising a very simple andsturdy swivel which permits the tanker mooring line to swing about avertical axis freely, and without binding, as the tanker heading varieswith variations in the wind and/or current direction.

More particularly, an important object of the invention is to provide amooring swivel which comprises simply a circular mooring ring looselyencircling and slidable circumferentially around a column means, plus aslip ring linked with and slidable circumferentially of the mooringring, the mooring line being connected to this slip ring. A relatedobject is to provide means for retaining the mooring ring on the columnmeans.

With the foregoing construction, as the tanker heading changes, the slipring can slide circumferentially of the mooring ring, or the mooringring can rotate relative to the column means, or both. The net result isa very simple mooring swivel which accommodates anchor heading changeseffectively and without binding, which are important features of theinvention.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a mooring system of theforegoing nature wherein the column means is cylindrical, and whereinthe retaining means for the mooring ring comprises downwardly facing andupwardly facing annular shoulders at the upper and lower ends of thecolumn means.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the presentinvention, together with various other objects, advantages, features andresults thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the mooringart in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplaryembodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing anddescribed in detail hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING In the drawing:

FlG. l is a semidiagrammatic view showing a tanker connected to thesubmerged mooring system of the invention by a bow line and showing abow hose for loading the tanker also connected to the mooring system;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view showing the mooring system inmore detail; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowedline 33 of FIG. 2 of the drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION Referring initially toFIG. 1 of the drawings, the submerged tanker mooring system of theinvention is designated generally therein by the numeral 10 and is shownanchored to the sea floor 12. A tanker 14 is shown secured to thesubmerged mooring system 10 by a bow mooring line 16, which may be acable, chain, or the like. For example, the line 16 may be formed of asynthetic material such as nylon, or the like. Illustrated as connectedto the mooring line 16 by ties 18 is a bow hose 20 for loading thetanker 14 with oil, for example. A buoy 22 connected to the mooringsystem 10 marks the location thereof, among other things.

Considering the mooring system 10 in more detail, it includes a base 26which is suitably anchored to the sea floor 12, as by being connected topiles 28 driven thereinto. The mooring line 16 is connected to the base26 by a swivel or swivel means 30 of the invention which permits thetanker 14 to weathervane about a vertical axis and which will bedescribed in more detail hereinafter. Mounted on the base 26 is a bellor dome 32 to which the hose 20 is connected, this bell being rotatableabout the vertical axis of the mooring swivel 30. The hose 20 isconnected within the bell 32 to an oil supply conduit, not shown, by ahose swivel, not shown, coaxial with the mooring swivel 30 and the bell32. This structure forms no part of the present invention and isdisclosed in detail in my aforementioned copending application,reference to which is hereby made.

Considering the mooring swivel 30 now in more detail, it in cludes acolumn means 36 carried by the base 26 and shown as having a cylindricalexterior surface 38. Loosely encircling and slidable circumferentiallyaround the cylindrical column means 36 is a circular mooring ring 40which is retained on the column means by upper, downwardly facing andlower, upwardly' facing shoulders 42 and 44 respectively located at theupper and lower ends of the column means. The upper shoulder 42 isfonned by an external annular flange 50 at the upper end of the columnmeans 36, while the lower shoulder 44 is formed by the upper surface ofthe base 26.

The mooring swivel 30 also includes a slip ring 46 which is linked withand which is slidable circumferentially of the mooring ring 40. Themooring line 16 is connected to the slip ring 46, as by a link 48.

With the foregoing construction, as the tanker 14 drifts with the windand/or current, it always remains bow-on to the mooring system 10, andthe mooring swivel 30 permits swinging of the mooring line 16 about thevertical axis of the swivel. (At the same time, the hose swivelhereinbefore referred to permits swinging of the hose 20 about the samevertical axis.)

As the tanker 14 swings about the axis of the mooring swivel 30, themooring ring 40 slides circumferentially around the column means 36, orthe slip ring 46 slides circumferentially along the mooring ring, orboth. This provides a very flexible arrangement which insures thedesired swiveling action about a vertical axis with no possibility ofbinding, which is an important feature of the invention. It might bepointed out that this circumferential motion of the mooring ring 40and/or the slip ring 46 can take place freely even after some corrosionof the various parts involved may have occurred due to prolongedsubmergence in sea water.

An important feature of the invention is that the inside diameter of themooring ring 40 is appreciably greater than the outside diameter of theretaining flange 50. This insures against binding of the mooring ring 40since, even if it were to ride up the cylindrical surface 38, it stillwould contact the flange 50 at essentially only one point.

It will be understood that although the invention has been disclosed inconnection with bow mooring, it may be used for other types of mooringalso.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been describedherein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that variouschanges, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in suchembodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as definedby the claims appearing in the next section of this specification.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mooring system for a ship, or the like, the combination of:

a column means;

b. a circular mooring ring loosely encircling and slidablecircumfcrentially around said column means through 360;

c. means for retaining said mooring ring on said column means; and

d. a slip ring linked with and slidable circumferentially of saidmooring ring through 360, the diameter of said slip ring being smallcompared to that of said mooring ring.

2. A mooring system as defined in claim 1 including means for anchoringsaid column means.

3. A mooring system according to claim 2 wherein said column means iscylindrical.

4. A mooring system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said retaining meanscomprises downwardly facing and upwardly facing annular shoulders at theupper and lower ends of said column means.

5. A mooring system according to claim 4 including a mooring lineconnected to said slip ring.

1. In a mooring system for a ship, or the like, the combination of: acolumn means; b. a circular mooring ring loosely encircling and slidablecircumferentially around said column means through 360*; c. means forretaining said mooring ring on said column means; and d. a slip ringlinked with and slidable circumferentially of said mooring ring through360*, the diameter of said slip ring being small compared to that ofsaid mooring ring.
 2. A mooring system as defined in claim 1 includingmeans for anchoring said column means.
 3. A mooring system according toclaim 2 wherein said column means is cylindrical.
 4. A mooring system asset forth in claim 3 wherein said retaining means comprises downwardlyfacing and upwardly facing annular shoulders at the upper and lower endsof said column means.
 5. A mooring system according to claim 4 includinga mooring line connected to said slip ring.